Seven fire crews were sent to a house fire in Ipswich last night, called by a neighbour who spotted the blaze.

Fire crews from Holbrook, Woodbridge and Ipswich, including an aerial ladder unit as well as a command crew, tackled the blaze which started in a semi-detached property in Reading Road, converted into flats, before spreading to the adjoining property.

A Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said that a neighbour had raised the alarm as the occupant was not aware of the incident.

Due to the number of appliances at the scene, there access to the road was temporarily restricted.

Group commander Ian Bowell said that after the flames were out, crews remained on the scene identifying hotspots and undergoing a salvage operation to ensure that as many possessions could be saved as possible.

Mr Bowell added: “The electric was popping and banging along with the fire, adding blue sparks to it.”

Eyewitness Neil Wibley, who lives nearby, was on the scene as the fire crews arrived.

He said: “I was going out of my front door and saw plumes of black smoke. The fire engines were just arriving as I was walking down the road.

“It didn’t seem as though there was anybody in distress in the area but the fire brigade were really quick and as soon as they arrived they had their hoses out and the extension ladder up.

A fire investigation officer was also sent to the scene to investigate the cause of the blaze.